”Please provide us concrete examples, which also show non-specialists that space is part of the key technologies of our future and that cross-frontier research & science are indispensable for the sustainability of our society and economy. Each of us experiences the “fruit of space” in everyday life, and only few are aware of this. Space has to remain a top priority in the budget of the European Union, therefore we need to publicise its success”, emphasized Monika Hohlmeier, Member of the European Parliament (EP) and Chairwoman of the “Sky&Space“ Intergroup of the EP in her contribution to the Space Policy/Industry Dialogue 2017’s first panel discussion.

At the Airbus premises in Taufkirchen and in the presence of about 80 key representatives of the space sector, two top-expert panels discussed the future of Europe’s space and space applications. Today’s Space Policy/Industry Dialogue was the fourth event in a row, which Secretary General Nereus, Ms. Roya Ayazi, said, is a highlight, she always looks forward to.

The Space Policy/Industry Dialogue has the objective to offer a discussion platform for actors of the space industry, politics and the space agencies. Here current questions, problems and developments concerning the future of both, space and space applications are highlighted. Questions include, to what extend companies will be challenged to re-orientate due to changing framework conditions like the new financial framework of the EU post-2020, the new EU space strategy (Oct. 2016) and the decisions of the ESA ministerial conference (Dec. 2016 Lausanne), the current mega-trends and the development around the subject “New Space“. The role and expectations of politics and agencies was also a focus point.

Company representatives in the first panel “The Future of Space“ had put questions regarding public funding and financial provisions in the foreground and compared the situation in Germany with other EU member states like France and the United Kingdom, which invest more in space and its commercial applications. The representative of the host Airbus DS GmbH, Johannes von Thadden, emphasised the importance of doubling the German space budget until 2021, especially taking into account the background of the global challenges Germany is facing.

All participants agreed that with increasing operational availability of the two European space systems Galileo and Copernicus, the significance of space technologies will continuously increase. Both discussion panels emphasised the importance of space applications for the future as well as for commercial usage. Competitiveness was the key concern of both panel discussions; how to develop and produce faster, better and cheaper.

Tobias Miethaner, Head of the Department „Digital Society“ in the German Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure (BMVI) cited as an example for the rapid market development in satellite navigation technologies that by 2019 on average each person on our planet will own a satellite-based device. In his keynote he listed various support initiatives of his ministry, among others, the newly founded mFUND, which is especially directed at SMEs and start-ups. Until 2020 approx. 100 Million EURO will be set aside in order to support the development of space-based applications.

The second panel „Future of Space Applications“ targeted as focus points of the future developments of the market and the European competitiveness the holistic framework conditions of determining user needs, from standardisation to data continuity and data quality.

For more information, please look on the website of this year’s event.

The copyright of the pictures below is with Airbus Defense & Space GmbH, photographer Ms. Marion Custred/Alpensektor, who were so kind to allow us to present the picture here on our website. For any other form of publication of these pictures, please ask the owner of the copyright.